


my blessing in disguise is doing a good job hiding

by peachybirb



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Drugs, F/F, Prison
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:00:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24745735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachybirb/pseuds/peachybirb
Summary: When Catra is put in prison, she has a lot of time to think.--re-upload due to technical difficulties.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 37





	my blessing in disguise is doing a good job hiding

**Author's Note:**

> This basically was "If Catra set off a portal in real life, what would have happened?" basically, arson.

Flames swallowing… 

Hot…

Black…  
Flames....

Hot…. Hot… Hot… 

NO  
GOING  
BACK

___

Catra sprang up in her bed, sweat dripping from her brow. Her hands were vigorously shaking and felt as if she had dipped them in ice water. Her breath hitched in her throat and got caught and tightening and squeezed around her neck in an iron vise grip. She reached with shaking hands to her neck, hoping them as the password for breath. 

Swallowing hard she looked around, remembering her surroundings. Her laundry mesh bag hanging on the metals hooks she under the window sill. Her desk with scattered papers and a loose pencil rolling on the ground. The metal toilet in view from her spot on the harsh mattress; one toilet roll lay atop the sealed shut toilet lid. It was her cell. She was not there anymore. 

Catra took in a harsh breath in and closed her eyes, resting her hand on her chest. She let her breath out and started to practice what Scorpia had told her. In for seven, out for six. 

In for seven….

Out for six…

In for seven… 

Out for… 

HOT

Her breath hitched again she had to jump out of her bed to rid her mind of the ice hot feeling. Her burn pulsed and ached and she felt like tearing the left over skin off. But alas, she settled for standing on the cold metal floor, letting the coolness on her feet and toes ground her. 

____

“Catra?” A small voice called. Catra only whimpered, tightening the blanket around her head. Maybe if she stayed the improvised blanket shield, the darkness couldn’t catch her. Couldn’t grab her by the scruff of her neck or by her hair and slammed her back to reality. 

But with Catra’s luck the voice called out again, closer now, probably standing over her. Catra let out a yowl similar to a cats hiss, hoping to scare the offender away. Instead it only seemed to draw the voice closer, then giving a slight grunt in effort when they tried to pull the blanket off. Catra only yelped and pulled back, but it was no use. Instead, the blanket was yanked back and she was exposed to the world. 

Infront of her was a familiar face. Adora stood in front of her with a worried expression written all over her face. “Oh Catra. What did she do?” Adora whimpered out, going to sit next to Catra. Catra made room and let Adora place her hand on her shoulder. 

“I-I-” Catra started but her voice was too scratchy and her throat was too dry and Adora was too close and-

“Catra! Catra!” Adora called after seeing her friend start to hyperventilate. Catra looked at her with dilated pupils. “Catra! H-Hey, can you name six metal objects for me? You know, the bed frame and…” 

Catra looked around panic like for a second before she settled on stuttering out, “W-W-Window frame.” She paused and took in a gulping breath and looked more. 

“D-Door frame.” 

“The d-dresser knobs.” 

“The door kn-nob.”

“The toy robot.” 

“Your belt buckle.” 

With her list over, she sucked in another breath and closed her eyes. She started to lean into the touch of her friend and Adora leaned back. 

___

“T-Toilet.”

“Window b-bars.” 

“Desk.”

“Bed frame.” 

“Door.” 

“Chair.” 

“Sink.” 

____

Sitting in the cafeteria of Cell Block D at Etheria’s Maximum Security Prison was a lot more peaceful than one would think. Catra sits at the last seat at the last table in the last row of the cafeteria, right next to her cell. After eating, she would go to work in the laundry block, then try her best to have some peace and quiet in her cell. Scorpia had suggested meditation, something to calm her down throughout the day. Every time Catra tried it, however, she would be constantly interrupted by the commotion of other cellmates. 

Catra had picked up some sorta-mashed-potatoes on her plastic fork when someone sat down across from her. Now, Catra was no gang leader here. She didn’t have the whole prison wrapped around her finger. Although, most in her block had decided it best to leave the woman to herself. So that’s why it came as a surprise to see someone trying their hand at befriending her. 

“Hey, Dilruth.” Catra flinched at the familiar greeting but pushed past nausea with a clear of her throat. Looking up, the newcomer was someone Catra had seen around often. She had heard her name, Wilsons, being whispered in secrecy and in private among the other prisoners. Catra wasn’t one for believing rumors but the exaggerated rumors about Wilsons had to have come from somewhere. Some said she was busted for an elaborate gang business full of murderers and rapists. Others said she was simply busted for being a junky. 

This woman was loud. Very loud. She was the type that with one wrong look would think you’re picking a fight. Someone who thinks the world revolves around her and only her. This was the type of person Catra hated. Maybe that’s because it reminds her of herself.

Catra scowled and looked back down at her food, hoping that her blatant disdain to the visitor would drive her away. Instead, the woman had only chuckled in response and continued. “So, heard you’re a pretty hardcore gal,” Wilsons said through glinting yellow teeth. Catra didn’t meet Wilson's gaze as the other woman waited for a response. Having not given one, Wilsons continued. “Hey, on the down-low, I don’t think you’re as scary as everyone thinks ya are.” 

“Hm.” Catra only grunted in response. She hadn’t known that people who consider her scary and intimidating but maybe that was for the best. The farther away from people were, the easier it was for her. 

“Yeah. You show this big facade of the big bad wolf but-” Wilsons sucks on her teeth, “really you’re just the scared Lil’ red riding hood.”

Catra groaned inwardly and definitely, eye-rolled outwardly. Why do people always try to analyze their motives? Can’t people just leave her alone? Her silence must have been a sign for Wilson to continue. 

“So, how about we become best friends and I make sure no one messes with you.” 

“And?”

“And… you start selling.” There it was. Why does everyone Catra interact with wants something from her? Catra knew her answer right away. 

“Yeah, no.” 

“Come on Dilruth! You’re here for life, right? Why not make things interesting?” Wilsons pleaded, slamming her fists on the metal lunch table. 

“I am not interested in being your cartel donkey,” Catra said, letting a low growl from her throat be heard. 

“You’ll have more than that! Respect, honor, followers!” Wilsons listed each word, every single one grating on Catra’s patience. “You can show you’re more than a prisoner. What’d you do again? Arson?” 

“That is none of your business,” Catra said through gritted teeth. 

“Fine. But I want to formally tell you that you don’t scare me. Just because everyone else around here doesn’t want to mess with you, doesn’t mean I won’t.” 

Deep breathing Catra… in for seven, out for six. In for seven, out for six…

In for seven… 

Out for…

Six punches right to Wilson's face placed her in solitary.

“Hey, Wildcat!” Catra sat down in the visitation chair, Scorpia sitting on the other side of the glass. 

“Hey, Scorpia.” Catra picked up the phone and began playing with the phone cord. She needed something to keep her distracted. Something to where she wouldn’t be forced to listen to all of what Scorpia was saying.

“So, Entrapta’s come back from the hospital. I thought you might have wanted to know.” Catra tensed. Entrapta came back from the hospital that Catra herself had placed her in. Catra gripped her other hand under the table, not caring if she left white crescents or if she tore through skin. She couldn’t lose it again. She needed to stay grounded. Something to make her know she was still here in the now. “Her and Hordak are working on some new kind of…” Scorpia trailed off, glancing at the cops around her. “Some kind of new candy that’s supposed to be a new kind of… taste.” When Catra didn’t respond Scopria decided to bring up a new topic. “Entrapta hasn’t forgiven you yet but she’s trying.” 

“I don’t want to be forgiven.” 

Scorpia paused after Catra’s confession. Catra could see the confusion and hurt cross across Scorpia’s face and see her lips curl into a frown. 

“Well, Cart-”

“No. I don’t want to be forgiven. I don’t deserve to be forgiven.” Catra goes back to staring at the ground. Preferring that than to stare at the hurt on Scorpia’s face. 

“Wildcat…” 

A strange silence was received on both lines. A silence that was so loud and deafening that it hurt to listen to and brought tears to Catra’s eyes. Catra quickly shook her head and shut her eyes tight. Both women had so much to say but neither knew how to say it. 

“Hey, Catra.” Catra looked up at Scopria’s face. “Entrapta told me that Perfuma told her that Bow told her that Glimmer told him-” 

“Get on with it Scorp.” 

“R-Right. Well, ya see…” Catra gave Scorpia a look saying ‘spit it out already’ and Scorpia gulped. “Adora is coming to see you soon,” Scorpia uttered. Catra sat staring, making Scorpia wonder if she even heard her in the first place. Then a laugh erupted from the other end of the phone, the laugh that made you wary of Catra teetering over the edge. 

“No, she’s not.”

_________

Catra groaned and pushed the fourth load of laundry since her shift started. She was assigned a two-hour extension of her work shift because of her outburst after Adora- Catra gulped - Adora came to see her. She didn’t necessarily hate laundry. Yeah, it was gross having to touch every cell mates dirty clothes, some dirtier than others, but it was calming. It was a mindless task that gave Catra something to do to keep her mind off of whatever it was thinking of at the time. It was also a plus that only three other people worked laundry and they all had other shifts, except for this one scrappy girl who was there for Catra’s last 20 min. 

But now her shift was reaching the point where she would normally end and the scrappy girl is here putting clothes into the opposite dryer in the room. She hadn’t said much but she seemed more nervous than usual. She was glancing around and clasping and unclasping her hands repeatedly. 

When Catra was about to put another load in, four women walked into the room. One was a black lady, with long dreads. She was tall and strongly built, reminding Catar of a woman wrestler. The girl to the black women's rights was a pale lanky weasel looking, girl. Her hair was in a gross overgrown mullet. She had a very punchable face. The two other women look Hispanic, both having long black hair in a tight french braid. Catra wasn’t one to get intimidated but she had to give it to them, they did look outright frightening. 

“Colson, why do we have company?” The black woman spoke to the other girl in Catra’s shift- Colson. Colson bit her lip and looked over at Catra. Catra shoved the rest of the clothes in the washer and started to turn the timer dial, ignoring the situation. 

“I-I-” Colson started but was pushed up against the wall by the collar of her shirt by one of the Hispanic girls. Catra shoved her lean body up against the washer, defensive. 

“Don’t force our hands.” The woman punctuated every word with a shove, gritting her teeth. The black woman took a toothbrush with a sharpened edge out of her pants, making Catra tense. The woman pushed the toothbrush against Colson’s neck. 

“We can get rid of you and replace you how we please. Is it smart to invite unwanted guests here?!” The woman pushed harder. 

“W-Well-” She was cut off by a harsh punch to the face. Catra squeezes her eyes shut in sympathy pain. Suddenly, Adora’s face appeared in Catra’s mind. Adora’s loving face, her determined blue eyes, her angelic smile, her laugh. 

“Hey! Leave her alone.” 

The black woman turned back, keeping the knife pressed up against Colson’s throat. She looked furious, but when she caught sight of Catra, she smirked. 

“Well looky here. You wanna play with the big girls, huh?” The woman chuckled and aimed the makeshift shiv at Catra. 

“Just leave her alone. A guard could come in and it’s not worth getting the shot.” Catra tried to talk her down, keeping her defensive stance. 

“Oh, I’m here for life. A Lil shot won’t hurt me.” She looked at the shiv and the ensemble behind her. At her look, they all took out their own shivs, getting in a fighting stance. 

“But it’s time to find out what will hurt you.” 

___

Catra groaned and pressed the gauze tape back on her head. Stupid prison tape with no stupid adhesive. It wasn’t a fair fight. It was 1 against 4 and all 4 had weapons. Catra definitely got her ass chewed. She was left with one broken rib, a black eye, a fractured knee and plenty of cuts and bruises. The four girls fled before anyone could catch them, the guard being alerted by Catra’s harsh breathing that could probably be heard a mile away. She caught the ear of the Colson girl also running to get a guard but she hadn’t seen the former since then. 

Right now, Catra was on her way to the Warden’s office. Carta kept her anxiety at bay with the continuous thoughts of Adora and her smile. She had called Adora the other day and they have already planned their new meeting. 

When Catra arrived at the Warden’s door, she could see her working hard through the crack of the door. The warden looked tired, overworked, and in need of a coffee. Stacks up paper littered her desk and her pens lay strewn about. She sighed and rubbed her head, looking up. When the warden locked eyes with Catra, she feigned a smile and beckoned for her to come in. 

“Good Morning, Mrs. Dilruth. How’s your day been?” The warden said, scratching her head and pushing her stray flyaways back into her bun. 

“Well, considering I got my ass beat, feeling a bit worse for wear,” Catra snided, taking pride in the Wardens embarrassed face. 

“Yes, I’ve heard. We’ve gotten that taken care of.” 

“Yeah..” Catra wanted to claim their negligence for not putting guards in every hall, and the fact the perpetrators only got 3 days in isolation, but that wasn’t the time. 

“Well, I’ve got good news then, maybe that will brighten up your day.” Catra raised her eyebrow in confusion. She hasn’t had good news from the prison, ever. 

“You’ve got a request for parole. You can get out of here."

**Author's Note:**

> This is a re-upload due to some technical difficulties (ao3, why you delete my stuff?)


End file.
